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The next is the transcript of the interview with Sen. Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on March 15, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We flip now to the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Democratic Senator Mark Warner. He joins us this morning from Richmond, Virginia. Senator, lots to ask you about in regard to Iran, however I wish to begin first on the homeland. We had a number of assaults, two being investigated as terror incidents right here at residence. Will we nonetheless have the senator? Okay, sorry. Glad he can nonetheless hear me. The incidents right here at residence, together with one in Virginia at Outdated Dominion College, the gunman had served a number of years in jail for attempting to assist ISIS. He walked into an Military ROTC class and he shot the teacher useless. He injured two others. How does a convicted ISIS supporter do that proper below the nostril of regulation enforcement?
Whose job was it to trace him?
SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): Nicely, Margaret, I feel the job was alleged to be the FBI. And sadly, below this FBI director, Kash Patel, he has fired most of the high counterterrorism of us, counterespionage of us. And he has taken, and I reported this many instances, near a 3rd of our FBI officers off doing counterterrorism or doing intercourse crimes and put them on immigration enforcement. I knew this was gonna come again and chunk us. And I consider whereas there is probably not a direct relationship right here, we all know in the entire workplaces they’ve taken these FBI brokers off their vital instances and put them on immigration enforcement. I feel that was a mistake. I wanna learn how this man was capable of nonetheless be on the free, and we have to get an investigation, however we have to get an FBI that’s again centered on defending the homeland and stopping, whether or not or not it’s terrorists or espionage going down.
MARGARET BRENNAN: At this level, are you conscious of any credible threats to the homeland?
SEN. WARNER: I’ve not been briefed in the previous few days on a further credible risk. However this, let’s put it like this, you realize, these are the issues you must plan for in case you are planning on going to struggle on a struggle of selection. It is a struggle of selection. And when you simply undergo rapidly, the president mentioned there have been going to be 4 targets. Regime change, we have really received a worse supreme chief than the earlier one. And also you heard the international minister, it would not sound like they’re prepared to maneuver out. The uranium enrichment, it might take troops on the bottom. Eliminating the missiles, we have betrayed a few of these.
MARGARET BRENNAN: –I get it.–
SEN. WARNER: However the loopy factor was that we did not take the Ukrainian provide to go after, to make use of their drones, that are less expensive. I would like to speak to you about- And eventually, we have the Strait of Hormuz closed.
00:02:46
MARGARET BRENNAN: I received to go to a break and I am coming again to speak to you the place I haven’t got to chop you off. Let me simply go to this break now.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome again to Face the Nation. We return now to our dialog with Senator Mark Warner. Senator, we had been speaking about Iran earlier than that break. It was a yr in the past that the nation’s intelligence leaders sat earlier than your committee and supplied testimony on the Worldwide Threats Briefing. And at that time, the testimony was, quote, “we proceed to evaluate Iran shouldn’t be constructing a nuclear weapon and that Khamenei has not reauthorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003.” Clearly, Israel disagreed with that U.S. evaluation, and so they persuaded President Trump. Had been these U.S. intelligence leaders fallacious?
SEN. WARNER: No, they weren’t. There was no imminent risk to america, and I do not consider there was even an imminent risk to Israel from Iran. Over a time period, significantly with the ballistic missile functionality, Israel could be extra below risk. The choice to go to struggle, on this case, was a selection by President Trump. And as I used to be racing by means of, I will not undergo the entire record once more, nevertheless it was regime change, do away with the enriched uranium, do away with their missiles, sink the Navy. I am unsure we now have reached a profitable conclusion on any of these 4, significantly on the final level, the Navy. They’re still- you realize, have lots of and lots of of those pace boats that they’ll plant mines within the Strait of Hormuz, which they’ve already partially mined, and now, we’re on this circumstance the place he will resolve, I suppose when he feels it in his bones, I feel was the quote the president used, and is that the factors once we’ve received actually 13 service members killed? And I received a variety of these sailors on the Ford which can be residence ported in Norfolk, Virginia. And ready for him to really feel proper within the bones? That does not appear to be the fitting standards.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, we’ll get an replace from these intelligence leaders earlier than your committee later this week. We’ll be watching that carefully. I wish to particularly ask you, although, about what occurred with this lethal strike on an elementary college in Minab, Iran. Our CBS reporting is that just about 200 folks had been killed, possible the results of outdated intelligence that was used for the goal coordinates, in response to the preliminary evaluation. Secretary Hegseth mentioned he has appointed an investigator from exterior Central Command to do a full probe. From what you will have been informed, did the deadly error originate from throughout the intelligence group or was this a difficulty with the army not vetting the intelligence they got?
SEN. WARNER: Margaret, we have solely received preliminary assessments, and I need a thorough investigation. However what I do not wish to do is soar to the conclusion, whether or not it was CENTCOM or whether or not it was Protection Intelligence Company. Let’s- that is what thorough investigations are alleged to be for. Clearly, it was an American strike. I, once more, really feel just a little upset that the president tried to disclaim that initially or say it was even the Iranians. That is where- what we have. The phrases of the president of america are terribly vital in moments like this. And, sadly, President Trump has, makes use of free language on a regular basis, did not ever come to the American folks on this struggle of selection and say what our targets are, and we nonetheless do not know apart from the 4 targets he outlined. I am unsure we will accomplish, however he will then- each time he decides. And we- the place I disagree with my good friend Kevin Hassett is, that is having an enormous financial impact. In Virginia, two weeks in the past, fuel costs had been $2.81. Right this moment, they’re about $3.45. I noticed a farmer yesterday. His fertilizer value had been up 40%.
MARGARET BRENNAN: No, and we’ll proceed to trace that. Simply to place a nice level on this, although, as a result of this was, this was a faculty full of kids. If a mistake like this occurs, are you assured in the remainder of U.S. intelligence that’s persevering with for use for concentrating on and to tell what is going on on the bottom now and the greater than 50,000 service folks we now have dedicated right here?
SEN. WARNER: This is the reason we wish the investigation. This college, although, was completely adjoining to an Iranian army base. That doesn’t excuse what occurred. However that is why, earlier than I forged blame on whether or not it was the army or DIA, I wish to get the details. I feel we would all do a greater job if we really argued from details slightly than from suppositions.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, on the details, the Senate did not advance that Homeland Safety funding for the fourth time yesterday. Now we have airline CEOs faulting Congress for not paying TSA brokers. I’ve received video of TSA employees on meals traces as a result of they only missed their second paycheck, half paycheck final time, full paycheck this Friday. Why cannot your leaders break this impasse?
SEN. WARNER: Margaret, I feel we must always. And what we now have provided is let’s pay TSA, let’s pay FEMA, let’s pay the Nationwide Guard [sic.] I am sorry the Coast Guard, let’s pay CISA, I would even say let’s pay Customs and Border Patrol. If we will not agree on ICE reforms, let’s pay everyone else. With the price range that the Republicans laid out, why will not they only take sure for a solution?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, they are saying it is, it is an entire scale funding, not piecemeal, but–
SEN. WARNER: –If you are going to fund 95%, as we did to stability the federal government, why not do the stability of DHS apart from ICE?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, we shall be watching that. Senator Warner, thanks on your time this morning. We’ll be proper again.
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